The heat from the Marvel Rivals release isn’t even out yet and NetEase Games has delivered another thrilling 5v5 hero shooter: FragPunk. Since its release on March 7th, the gameplay has been generally well-received. The game offers a refreshing experience that breaks traditional battle rules.
However, despite the game’s engaging mechanics, creative features, and increasing player count, there’s one glaring issue that is starting to bug many players: the overwhelming number of microtransactions. From the moment you start a game, players are confronted with them, leaving them frustrated.
FragPunk: A promising hero shooter with a major flaw
From its release, the game has been praised by the players for its engaging gameplay and the innovative Shard Card system. However, it’s hard to ignore the sheer number of monetization methods. If we count all the currencies in the game, including paid and non-paid, there are 9 different ones.
While some might argue that out of 9, only 2 of them are paid currency, having 9 different ones doesn’t make sense either. There are two separate battle passes and even a membership system.
The game is free-to-play, so everyone expected some microtransactions as a core component, but the extent of FragPunk’s system feels a little too excessive, and some players are finding it difficult to look past it. In fact, the game’s structure has led many to wonder if the devs have gone too far.
The player base, which is still on the rise (via SteamDB), is growing thanks to the game being free-to-play, but the overabundance of microtransactions may quickly start to make players feel alienated. If NetEase doesn’t address this issue and tone it down, FragPunk could very well face an early demise.
The complete opposite approach from Marvel Rivals
The concerning part about FragPunk is its completely contrasting approach with Marvel Rivals by NetEase. While there are microtransactions in Marvel Rivals, they are not on your face. It has struck a better balance, focusing on gameplay that doesn’t overwhelm players with in-game purchases.
In comparison, FragPunk feels like it’s overloading players with too many options for spending money or confusing them with a whole load of different currencies. Since its launch on March 7th, the game’s reviews on Steam have become mixed, which is a worrying sign.
A game with so much potential could be quickly derailed if the community’s concerns over microtransactions aren’t addressed. The initial excitement is still evident, but it’s clear that this success could be short-lived unless some major changes are made to the in-game economy.
In the end, while FragPunk offers a unique and exciting gameplay experience, NetEase needs to take a hard look at how they’re monetizing the game. For now, the game might still be riding high on its free-to-play status, but the future remains uncertain.
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